Lane Victory tickets for USS Iowa escort cruise to go on sale

Tickets to ride onboard the SS Lane Victory go on sale Wednesday for those who want to greet and escort the USS Iowa battleship as it is towed south to Los Angeles in May.

The Iowa is scheduled to begin its tow south on May 20 from Northern California.

Plans call for the Lane Victory to rendezvous with the ship between 1 and 3 p.m. on May 23 - a Wednesday - near Santa Monica Bay and then escort the battleship the rest of the way south.

The Lane Victory will leave San Pedro at around 11 a.m. and return at around 7 p.m. A continental breakfast and catered lunch are included.

Upon arrival, the Iowa initially will be anchored several miles off-shore near Long Beach before it is brought to Berth 87 in the Port of Los Angeles, its permanent home. A grand opening is set for July 7.

Tickets for the escort trip are $250 each for both adults and children, said Anthony Broude, president of the Lane Victory's board of directors.

"Every day we get calls, there's a lot of excitement," he said.

Call 310-519-9545 (FAX is 310-519-0265) beginning at 10:30 a.m. today for tickets. Information also is available at http://www.lanevictory.org/.